Shadow mage
by kingofshandowsnox
Summary: Marik, Yugi and Ryo go to hogwarts. not good with summarys please read.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything other than my verson on what shadow magic is.**

Marik was not sure what to make of this Hogwarts letter, but he had always wanted to go to a wizard school so he happily wrote his answer and sent it. He would be starting third year which may be awkward, but he didn't mind. His family had home schooled him on magic so he never met any wizard kids he wasn't related to.

Maybe he could at least live a normal wizard life. That would be nice, to be normal. Of course, with shadow magic and a psycho in your head normal is always out of your reach.

* * *

><p>Yugi was excited. Professor McGonagall had come to explain to his grandpa he was a wizard and going to a special wizard school in England to learn magic. He was given a scholarship because he was a shadow mage so it was free.<p>

He sat on his bed with the school supplies he had bought to double check he had everything before getting packed and ready to go.

"Excited Yugi?" Yugi turned to see Yami transparent and floating with a proud smile on his face. "Yup, I can't wait. Did you ever go to a wizard school?" The pharaoh shook his head. "No, we didn't have them back in my day. Everyone was ether got apprenticeships or didn't learn. Since I was a prince I had tutors."

Yugi nodded feeling nervous all the sudden. "I wonder what it's like." "I'm sure you'll be fine." Yami gave a reassuring smile. "We've saved the world from the apocalypse; a new school can't be much harder. Besides, Marik and Ryo are coming to so you'll have them to help you get through it." "Ya, I guess." Yugi did feel much better knowing a couple of his friends were going to be there. "At least Marik knows all about wizard culture and can help me out a bit." Yugi thought happily.

On the ride to England he felt comfort in the fact his friends would be their every step of the way.

* * *

><p>Ryo looked around the station searching for his friends. "Why are you so nerves, you know they'll be here." He turned towards Bakura who was giving him a glare. Bakura couldn't stand all the nerves chatter going through Ryo's mind.<p>

"I know, but what if they miss the train? What if I have to sit with some mean Stanger? What if they never make it to Hogwarts and I can't make any friends I and I spend the school year alone?" Bakura sighed. "I doubt the Pharaoh would let Yugi be late for anything. If anyone picks on you I'll take over and scare them off. And I don't think there's place in the inter world you couldn't make friends."

Ryo didn't look to sure but right then he spotted the people he was looking for and waved. "Over here!" he shouted at Marik and Yugi. They waved back and walked over to him. "I'm so glad you're here, I was afraid you wouldn't make it." "I wouldn't miss the train for anything." Yugi stated. Marik looked at the clock. "Um, guys, now we're all here, shouldn't we get on the train." They all looked at the clock in shock and rushed on board the Hogwarts Express.

* * *

><p>Harry was watching them from the window. He felt like something was off about those kids. Hermione saw what he was staring at and exclaimed "Those must be the Japanese transfer students I heard about!" Ron looked at her with wonder. "How come you know that were getting transfer students before we get to school?" "A foreign exchange student told me a kid in her neighborhood and his friends were coming to Hogwarts this year." Harry turned to her and asked, "Did she say anything else about them." "Only that her neighbor is a famous duel monster player who was all over the news the last two years. They call him the king of games." Hermione gave him a confused look. "Why do you ask?" "No reason." Harry looked back out the window but they had already gotten on the train by then. "Must have been my imagination." He made sure the teacher was asleep again before telling his friends about Sirius Black.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

The three friends sat in train compartment talking about their worries and fears about entering a wizard school. This mostly consisted of asking Marik endless questions since he came from a pure blood family.

Marik decided it was best to give them just the really important recent history. "And somehow a little baby ended up defeating one of the most powerful dark wizards the world has ever seen, though I'm not sure how, seeing he was an infant and all." Marik finished telling them of You-Know-Who, since that was probably one of the more important things to know.

"What happened to his followers after that?" Ryo asked leaning forward in his seat. He wanted to know as much as possible before reaching the school. He didn't want to look stupid.

"They ether went to Azkaban or said they were that he used a spell to control their minds." Marik answered. "Either way, the death eaters are no more and we probably will never have to worry about that horrible man again."

"But we never worried about him in the first place." Yugi pointed out. "We didn't know he even existed, remember?"

"That doesn't mean I'm not relieved that he's gone." Marik grumbled under his breath while looking out the window.

Yugi sighed looking at the passing landscape as well. "I still can't believe this is all real. Going to a wizard school, finding out that two of my friends are going there with me." He turn back to face his companions. "It's an exciting new adventure."

"I just can't believe we all have this supper rare gift that very few wizards have." Ryo said with an amazed look on his face. "I mean, who ever knew our connection with the shadow realm was anything other than a curse."

"It is a curse." Marik grumbled, obviously annoyed about something. "It's not a well thought of trait remember? That's why we have to keep it a secret?"

"Yeah, but it's nice to know that there's a reason why we get possessed by ancient spirits and not any other millennium item owners." Ryo sighed leaning back. "I was beginning to think there was something wrong with us, you know what I mean."

At the moment Ryo said this, everyone turned to look at the transparent being only they could see. After finding out the many shadow mages get possessed by such beings in order to survive the shadow realm, a lot of their life seemed to make more sense. Yugi not being able to survive the shadow realm unless Yami was in control, why Bakura can somehow get the millennium ring back around Ryo's neck beyond all possible odds, why Marik has an evil alternate self before even touching the millennium rod, everything just makes so much more sense with it has nothing to do with millennium items at all.

All the sudden the train screeched to a halt, jerking everyone around and startling the three as they wondered why they stop in the middle of nowhere.

"What the bloody hell was that?!" Bakura yelled taking over Ryo and jumping to his feet.

"Bakura, don't yell. There's probably just something on the tracks. No need to possess Ryo." Marik was not in the mood to deal with Bakuras bad tamper at the moment. He had bumped his head during the stop and now it felt like someone was drilling holes in his brain. _"If I have a concussion, I'll kill the conductor."_ Marik wasn't quite sure if that was his thought or not, but he didn't care at the moment.

"I'm not leaving. There's something out there that doesn't feel right" Bakura looked around; alert to everything that might be happening.

"Bakura's right," Yami said, taking over Yugi after sensing the danger as well. "Whatever's out there is admitting a dark aura. I don't feel comfortable letting Yugi handle something that might be really dangerous."

"And I don't feel like endangering my host just because you don't feel like talking to me right now." Bakura looked up as the lights flickered off.

The room suddenly got colder, and everyone in the room shivered. Marik felt like all the happiness in the room was being sucked by some force they had yet to meet. Marik was starting to wonder if he himself should call his dark half for pretention. _"I don't think the apocalypse it's self is worth letting that maniac lose." _He heard a _"Hey!"_ answer him so he knew the dark self was listening.

The room was still as the door to the compartment slide open to revile a terrifying cloaked being. Everyone had a different reaction.

Marik jumped thinking _"Oh Ra, what the hell is that thing!"_

Yami prepared any power he had to destroy it if needed.

Bakura gave it a creepy smile that would give the Dark Lord nightmares and said "Boo."

One look at Bakura and the thing ran for the hills, stunning Marik and Yugi, who gained back control after the danger passed.

"Wow Bakura, I think you made it piss its pants." Marik teased as the spirit sat back down next to Yugi.

"Shut up, Marik." Bakura snarled before letting Ryo have control again.

"What was that?" Yugi asked

"I don't know but it gave me the creeps." Marik answered. Then he smirk and said "Good thing Bakura's can scare practically anything off, hah Ryo."

_"One of these days I'm gonna kill him." _Ryo heard the evil spirit growl. He just shook his head and continued the rest of the train ride talking and laughing with his friends.


	3. Chapter 3

_People speaking Japanese_

People speaking english

When the three of them got off the train they weren't quite sure where to go. The first years were going towards some really tall guy, but everyone else was going towards some unknown location.

They were new, but not first year, so, what were they supposed to do?!

Then they heard "All new students come with me as well!" being shouted by the giant.

_"I'm pretty sure first years are new students too." _Bakura sneered in Ryo's mind.

_"Be nice, at least we know where to go."_ Ryo didn't know what was up with Bakura today. He seemed on edge ever since the incident on the train. It was odd because usually stuff like that didn't phase the spirit in the slightest. Ryo knew something had to make the situation different than the others; otherwise the evil spirit won't be so nervous. He just couldn't put his figure on it.

_"I'll think about it sometime in the morning."_ Ryo decided as they walked towards to large man.

They three of them gathered with the others in front of the strange man.

"'Ello, I'm Hagrid, welcome to Hogwarts. Come on, follow me. To the boats."

The boat ride gave them a very impressive few of Hogwarts. Other than that, there wasn't anything they found worth remembering so there's no use talking about it.

A tall black haired lady answered the door that the big man, Hagrid for the two party members who cared, knocked on.

"_Professor McGonagall_," Yugi whispered to the other three. "_She's the one who came to talk to Grandpa. She can also turn in to a cat._" He remembered that's how she got his Grandpa to take her seriously.

Marik and Ryo nodded, appreciating the info. Knowing to watch for spying cats was defiantly useful.

_"I wonder if that means she's a bakeneko."_ Ryo wondered.

_"I wonder when dinner is." _Bakura stated plainly. _"Not everything that turns in to a cat is a werecat, Ryo."_

_"That doesn't mean I can't wonder about it."_ Ryo answered; annoyed his thoughts were so easily heard. _"It wasn't like I was talking to you, you know. You don't have to listen in on my private thoughts."_

_"Well excuse me for not having my own head."_

_"Yami, what were your magic classes like?" _Yugi asked, feeling nervous again.

_"Well, they were very difficult and tiring." _Yami answered, trying to think of something to say that would make Yugi less scared. _"But there were different lessons for each subject, just like your old school." _He hoped familiarity would comfort his friend, but Yugi did not seem any more at ease then he was before.

_"What did you mean on the train when you said 'I don't think the apocalypse it's self is worth letting that maniac lose'!?" _Mariks darker half demanded.

_"Exactly what it sounded like!"_ Marik yelled at the darker half. _"You cause nothing but pain when you're let out! You hurt my friends, my family, you even hurt me! Give me one good reason I should trust you with control." _

They were so focused on these conversations that they didn't notice Professor McGonagall was speaking until she announced that it was time to be sorted.

"Follow me to be sorted into your house."

_"What!" _All six of them cried in shock.

"Form an orderly line please." She continued. "Now follow me."

_"We seem to have to do a lot of following in this place." _Bakura complained.

_"Oh, hush." _Ryo scowled.

They walked through another set of doors, down the hall, through another set of doors to what looked to be a dining hall was a large group of people were.

Bakura saw all the empty plates and exclaimed _"Finally, dinner time."_

_"Be patience Bakura, we still have to get sorted."_ Ryo politely reminded him.

_"Well excuses me, but we both know were hungry. Our stomach practically cried "FEED ME!" all the way here." _Bakura was right. They hadn't eaten since lunch and that was a long time ago by now.

Yugi was much more fascinated by the ceiling than anything else. "_Look at that guys._" He said, speaking in japanese, hoping not to embarrass himself with his lack of exposure to such things if only his friends understood him. "_What do you suppose that is?_"

Marik smiled at his friend. "_It's an allusion spell to make it look like the night sky._" He looked up as well. "_Pretty neat huh, must have taken them forever to make it look this accurate._"

McGonagall took out an old hat that started to sing. All three of them went wide eyes when they heard its song.

_"You mean to tell me, that that thing is going to look inside our HEADS!?"_ Bakura yelled.

None of them were without fear. The thought of the hat inside their minds seemed a little dangerous, considering what lurked inside them.

_"That things going to hate my labyrinth." _Was all Yami could say.

"When I call your name, please step forward." Professor McGonagall ordered. "Bakura, Ryo."

_"I now officially hate her." _Bakura stated.

_"But you just met her 10 minutes ago."_ Ryo argued.

_"I don't' care. She's on my list."_

They walked up to the stall to sit down. Flinching as he felt the hat work its magic, Ryo tried to remain calm.

_"Interesting, there's two boys in this head."_ A voice that could only be the hat spoke.

"HUFFLEPUFF AND SLYTHERIN! HUFFLEPUFF AND SLYTHERIN!" the hat cried.

Everyone stared, and Ryo started panicking.

_"Just put us in hufflepuff you idiot. I'm not enrolled here!" _Bakura compromised.

The hat seemed to except this cause after a pause it just shouted "HUFFLEPUFF."

Ryo sat down at the table that he was supposed to and then they moved on. Everyone was still staring at him.

There were a bunch of other names called but they're not important so we'll move on.

"Ishtar, Marik."

Marik stepped up, hoping the same thing won't happen to him.

"_Ah, another set of boys in the same head."_ After a couple seconds it spoke again. _"At least you both belong in the same house."_

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat shouted.

Marik sat down at the slytherin table calmly and stoned face, when he was really sighing of relief inside.

Some more unimportant people were called before finally our third main characters name was called.

"Mutou Yugi."

Yugi put on his brave face and stepped forward. He wasn't about to let a talking hat scare him after everything HE has faced.

_"What is it today with two people in one head? This is the third one this sorting." _The sorting hat wasn't quite sure what to make of it but went on to shout "GRYFFINDOR" anyways.

Yugi sighed but went to sit down. He was a little disappointed that none of his friends were in the same house as him.

_"Don't worry Yugi. You still have me, and I'm sure you'll make lots of new friends." _Yami reassured his other self. _"No can resist making friends with you. You're so nice and eager to help others."_

_"Thanks Yami."_

* * *

><p>"Oh, we missed the sorting." Hermione whispered disappointed. They had been busy getting a checkup after their dementor attack because they didn't have a mad Bakura to scare it off.<p>

They sat down next to Ron who stated talking excitedly.

"Guys, you'll never guess what happened. One of the transfer students from japan, his name was Ryo Bakura; the hat at first sorted him in both hufflepuff and slytherin."

"Really?" Harry asked, curious. He knew something was off about those transfer students.

"That's preposterous. No one can be in two houses." Hermione reasoned.

"Ask around, everyone heard it. But it did settle for hufflepuff after a while." Ron admitted.

"What about the other two." Harry asked.

"Theirs were normal." Ron answered. "One of them went to our house, but I don't remember how to pronounce his name."

"That's because you were probably too busy gawking at the poor boy who was embarrassed in front of the whole school!" Hermione scowled. "Honestly, it would be a wonder if he talks to anyone for a weak the way you all probably reacted."

"Which is the one that got sorted in our house?" Harry asked Ron.

"Oh, he's the one with the spiky hair and blond bangs moping at the end." Ron answered around a mouthful.

"I'm going to go talk to him." Harry stated, getting up from his seat.

"That's a good idea." Hermione agreed. "I'll come two."

They both started walking as Ron just sat there. "You guys go on ahead. I'll come over there later." And continued eating.

Yugi was sitting down staring at his food as if it knew how to solve all his problems.

"'Ello." A voice next to him said. He turned to see a boy his age with messy black hair and glass next to him.

"Hi!" Yugi said excitedly. "My name's Yugi Mutou, what's yours?"

"Harry Potter, nice to meet you." Harry greeted. _"I don't blame Ron for not remembering his name. It seems kind of hard to pronounce." _And this is Hermione."

"Hi." Hermione greeted.

"Konbanwa." Yugi greeted. _"I hope I can be friends with them. It would be nice to have friends in the same house a me." _

_"Just be your self Yugi."_ Yami reassured.

Then Yugi remembered something he talk about with Marik. "You're the boy who lived my friend Marik told me about." He pointed to Harry as he said this.

Harry flinched and nodded.

"Marik a lot of things on the train ride here." Yugi continued, sensing Harrys' discomfort. "I didn't know wizards existed until they told me I was one."

Hermione nodded sympathetically. "It was like that for me too. Only I didn't have a friend who already knew everything. I just read a lot of books before coming here."

"Where's your friend Marik now?" Harry asked.

"Oh, he got put in slytherin. He's over there now talking to a blond boy." Yugi look over at the other table on the end. Marik always could get along with everyone. Marik was only himself around them.

Harry looked to see another transfer student talking with Malfoy. "I'm surprised, Malfoy is a big jerk, he's usually is mean to everyone who's not his part of his gang."

"Marik can make anyone like him if they want him to." Yugi said absent mindedly. "He says it's because he's a people person."

Ron came over and was introduced. They then chatted happily until it was time to go to their dorms.

Yugi slept peacefully with the knowledge he had made some new friends.


	4. Chapter 4

Hermione went to the library to do her homework when she noticed the only seat left was next to the new student that hangs out with Malfoy, Yugi said his name was Marik.

_"Oh no, Ron and Harry aren't with me. I don't want to be teased." _She thought. _"But I have a test to study for and this is the quietest place right now."_

She walked over to the seat, trying to not attract his attention. _"Please don't notice me. Don't call me a mug blood or anything, please."_

Hermione sat down and got her books and notes out. She got half way through the page when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Hey."

She jumped and turned to face him.

Marik smiled warmly. "I'm sorry I scared you, but I'm having trouble reading this passage. Could you help me please?"

Hermione blink a couple times before answering. "Oh, of course." _"He must not recognize me." _She thought relived.

"Thank you, you don't have to if it's too much trouble." Marik said gratefully.

"Oh no, no trouble at all. I'm happy to help." Hermione answered. _"He's being so nice. It's hard to believe he hangs out with Draco."_

"Thank you again." He said after she had helped him. _"She's so nervous. I wonder why?" _"My names Marik by the way, what's yours?"

"Hermione." She answered softly.

"OH!" Marik exclaimed a bit too loudly for being in a library. "You're the Blessed One Yugi told me about."

Hermione looked at him in surprise. "What." She couldn't believe what she had just heard.

"That's what we call wizards with no magical parents in Egypt, where I was born." Marik explained. "We believe our magic came from the gods and those who didn't receive it from heritage got directly from the gods themselves." He paused, frowning. "I'm not sure what the term is in England, but that's what we use."

Hermione smiled. "I think I like your term better."

Marik smiled again. "Great."

Hermione gave him a confused look. "You know, I wasn't expecting someone so nice to be friends with Malfoy."

Marik stifled a laugh. _"So that's what was bothering her."_ "Well, I tend to get along with everyone. But he's not that bad once you get to know him, he was just taught his entire life to look down upon people who aren't from Full Priest lines. Or purebloods, as he calls them." He looked up at the ceiling. "I should know, my father wanted our line to stay pure too."

Hermione had never thought of it like that. _"I guess if your parents tell you something's so,_ _you believe it. No matter what it is." _Hermione frowned. "That doesn't change the fact he's mean to me."

"No," Marik answered. "Nor does it excuse it. But it is the reason why he picks on you and not me." Marik turns back to facing her. "I hope that doesn't mean we can't be friends. I mean, your friends with Yugi and me, him and Ryo are sort of a package deal."

She smiled nodding. "Ok, it'd be nice to have someone to study with."

"Great." He smiled. Then he looked down on his paper and frowned. "Ok, now what is _this _paragraph supposed to say?"

Hermione couldn't help but giggle.

**Sorry for the short chapter. please review **

**I wrote this chapter based on how i react being near pontental bullies.**


	5. Chapter 5

Ryo was very upset about being late to his first divination class.

_"__You weren't late!"_ Bakura argued. _"You were here the whole time."_

_"__YOU were here the whole time not me!"_ Ryo argued. _"I was late because instead of being woken up you let me sleep in and didn't wake me in till class started."_

_"__You needed it after last night." _Bakura pointed out. Ryo had taken forever to go to sleep last night. He had been worried about the morning after all that embarrassment last night. _"Now shut up and listen to your lecture on tea leaves."_

Ryo was a little nervous as he switched tea cups from Lavender Brown. He looked in to it before saying "In sixth year you will dated someone who secretly likes someone else." _"Although I'm not sure how I got that from a cup of brown mush."_

_"__The gift doesn't always make sense Ryo, in fact it never dose."_ Bakura answered.

"How on earth can you tell that without looking at the book?" Lavender asked.

"Let me see the cup, Mr. Bakura." The teacher came over to see their progress.

_"__Oh, can I? Let me give it to her. I mean, she did ask." _Bakura asked excitedly.

_"__No, knowing you it would probably end up half way down her throat."_ Ryo answered. _"Besides, she's calling me by my last name like all the teachers in this school do."_

Ryo nodded and gave the teacher the cup. Professor Trelawney looked at down at the tea leaves.

"I do see heart break, but all the rest is quit unclear." She looked up at him. "Tell me, how did you make the rest of the prediction?"

Ryo shrugged. "I just said the first thing that I thought of."

The professor mumbled something and turned to Lavender. "And what do you see Miss Brown?"

"Well…" Lavender looked at her book. "I see a skull, meaning danger in your path, and an acorn, meaning windfall, unexpected gold." Lavender looked up at Ryo. "So something good and something bad will happen to you at the same time. That's weird."

"But not unusual." Ryo stated. _"After all, my father showed that he cared about me by giving me a cool Egyptian neckless, but then I got possessed by an evil spirit."_

_"__Oh, shut up." _Bakura answered.

Professor Trelawney took the cup from Lavender and looked into it. "Well that's interesting." She said before putting it down.

Ryo was probably the first person she did that to that didn't grab the cup to try to see what she saw. He just sat there calmly, of so it seemed, because in reality, him and Bakura were having another argument, not paying all that much attention to the teachers readings. That is until they heard a scream.

They all turned to see a kid with black hair and green eyes with glasses while the professor had dropped his cup on the table.

"_Hey," _Ryo asked Bakura. "_Isn't that Harry Potter, the boy Marik and Yugi told us about?"_

_"__I don't know; you're the one who actually listens to what those two have to say."_ Bakura answered in his annoyed voice. He was trying to see what was going own. It sounded interesting.

The professor was stuttering a few words, but Ryo couldn't hear being too far away.

"What is it, Professor?" One of the students asked, Ryo didn't know his name.

"My dear," Trelawney began fearfully "You have, the Grim."

Ryo raised an eyebrow. "_A death symbol? He must get those every year from what I heard." _

_"__Uh, I think this one means he's actually going to die Ryo." _Bakura said in a snarky fashion.

_"__But he was_ _already struck with a killing curse and is still breathing, what's out there that could possibly kill him!" _Ryo exclaimed.

_"__Disease, knives, guns, internal bleeding," _Bakura began listing all non-magical causes of death. _"Being crushed, set on fire, getting eaten by wild beast,"_

_"__Ok Bakura, you made your point!" _Ryo yelled. _"You can stop now."_

"When you've all finished deciding whether I'm going to die or not!"

The yelled statement startled the two out of their conversation to turn to said boy in question. It seems that the entire class room had surrounded the scared child for a time making him upset.

Professor Trelawney decided to end class then and there, much to Bakura's joy.

As Ryo walked out of the class room he looked at Harry's cup.

_"__I don't see any death symbol."_

_"__The teachers a fake Ryo, she probably just said some bogus to scare all the kids." _Bakura stated in a bored tone.

_"__But why would she do that?" _Ryo asked confused.

_"__For the thrills." _Bakura was growing impatient. _"Now get a move on or you really will be late for your next class!"_


	6. Chapter 6

Harry was glad to be outside after lunch as they went down to their Care of Magical Creatures class. Yugi had met up with them since they were going to the same place.

"I so glad we have this class with slytherin, Marik and I have so much to talk about."

Hermione nodded " I guess you don't get to talk with Marik much with him being in slytherin and all."

Yugi sighed. "Yeah, but we seem to be doing just fine. I mean, we both made new friends."

Ron snorted. "Your friend can't be that nice. He hangs out with Malfoy."

"Ron!" Hermione scold.

"What!" Ron held up his hands defensively. "It's true, I mean what decent person could stand Malfoy."

_"Marik." _Yugi thought.

_"They just don't know him like we do, Yugi." _Yami comforted.

"Well I happen to like Marik." Hermione stated.

Harry cocked an eye brow. "When did you meet Marik?" he asked

"I went to the library to study and he was there." Hermione answered. "I helped him read his textbooks."

"I've been having trouble with that to." Yugi admitted. "I not as good reading English as I am speaking it. One's much harder than the other."

"Would you like me to help you with it later?" Hermione asked.

"That would be great, thanks!" Yugi was glad to have made such good friends.

Harry spotted three all too familiar backs and groaned. _"Oh great, Malfoys here already."_

But there was also a fourth person who Harry could only assume was Marik who turned and waved towards them. Hermione and Yugi both waved back happily.

* * *

><p>But when Malfoy saw this he got Marik's attention and they started talking about something they couldn't hear.<p>

Yugi looked confused. "I wonder what that was about."

Harry had some idea. He felt sort of sorry for the Egyptian.

"Why are you waving at them?" Malfoy asked. He didn't understand how one of his friends could wave to Harry Potter's gang.

"My friends with them." Marik answered. _"Geese, this guy is paranoid."_

"Then why did the mugblood wave back too."

"Oh, I met her in the library once. She was nice and helped me with my homework."

Malfoy was a bit upset to hear this. He really got along well with Ishtar. Crabbe and Goyle didn't really count as friends since they just did whatever he told them but Marik seemed like he was going to be a real friend like what Potter had. He didn't want Marik to decide he'd rather hang out with the boy who lived instead of him.

"Just whose side are you on?" Malfoy asked.

Marik knew what Draco meant. He wanted to know if he was thinking about joining Harry's gang. Marik thought about what Draco wanted him to say, why he wanted him to say it, and what would be the best course to take. All these thoughts took a millisecond to make as Marik was an expert stagiest.

"Mine." He answered truthfully.

Malfoy saw immediately saw what Marik had done. By be friending Hermione not only did he form an alliance with the Potter group but he got to keep his old ones. Add that to the fact he and Marik were friends too, Marik had made allies with both his side and Potters. If the chips fell in either favor Marik would still be on top. Basically, Marik had made it so that in the grudge between Malfoy and Potter he would come out unscathed either way.

Malfoy smiled. This guy was without a doubt, a true slytherin.

"Smart." Malfoy commented.

By Malfoys reaction, Marik could tell he had been thinking right when he had thought Draco would appreciate his way of thinking. Perhaps taking school skirmishes so seriously was a bit eccentric, but it seemed the kind of thing that slytherin values. And he certainly didn't want to have to drop Malfoy off on his list of connections quit yet. Telling him that he was actually considering being friends with Hermione might do just that and Malfoys popularity in the slytherin house was too valuable .

The giant man named Hagrid waved them all towards him saying he had something really special to show them. "Everyone gather 'round the fence here! That's it, make sure yeh can see. Now the firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books-"

_"Surely he doesn't mean the ones that try to eat us whenever we unstrap them." _Marik thought to himself.

_"Like them." _His darker half commented. _"It was quite funny to watch it try to eat Ryo's face on the train."_

_"You __would__ find that funny."_ Marik mentally rolled his eyes.

_"Come now, I know for certain I wasn't the only one. I just didn't contain my laughter as you did."_

_"Shut up."_

"How do we open are books?" Malfoy asked as everyone took their books out.

"Hasn'-hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" Hagrid looked disappointed.

Marik wondered if he had thought the secret to getting the books to not eat them was obvious.

"Yeh've got ter _stroke_ 'em. Look-" Hagrid took Hermione's copy and took of the spellotape. As it tried to bite he rubbed the spine with his finger and it fell open and lay still.

"Oh, how silly we've all been!" Malfoy sneered. "We should have _stroked_ them! Why didn't we guess!"

Marik could see he was trying very hard not to let everyone know he had been nervous about having to open that book. Draco had told them as they were leaving for this class he was considering leaving the book in the chest under his bed and try telling the professor he lost it.

"I- I thought they were funny." Hagrid said nervously.

"Oh, tremendously funny!" Malfoy continued. "Really witty, giving us books that try to rip our hands off!"

"That's enough, Malfoy, I think he gets the point." Marik said putting a hand on his shoulder. Marik then looked around for Yugi.

Upon seeing him Marik waved. "Hey Yugi."

"Hi Marik." Yugi smiled as Marik walked over to him.

"Hey, Yugi, could you open my book for me." Marik ask. "I'm not really sure I should try."

"Oh, sure!" Yugi took the book from Marik's hands. "I'm happy to help."

"Thanks." Marik watched as Yugi opened it without any problems. "You're really good at this sort of thing. If we ever encounter a man eating beast we should all get behind you and let you pet it."

Yugi laughed. Same old Marik. "I'll be sure to remember that."

_"Well you do have a tendency to turn the most vicious creatures into puppies and kittens." _Yami pointed out.

_"I don't turn them into puppies and kittens!" _Yugi argued. _"They just really like me."_

Marik turned to see a bunch of strange creatures trotting towards them. The things looked like griffins, but they had the hind legs of a horse instead of a lion.

Once Hagrid got them out of the pen he shouted happily "Hippogriffs! Beau'iful aren' they?"

_"Wonderful, we start this class with a creature that would have no problems tearing our arms off!" _Marik thought bitterly. _"I think I'll stay with Yugi for the moment."_

Yugi looked up at Marik and asked "Hey Marik, aren't you going to stand next to Malfoy?"

Marik gave Yugi a warm smile. "Of course not, Yugi. I'll talk to Draco later. I've haven't seen you in ages!"

"Ok!" Yugi exclaimed. "I've been meaning to tell you that I found out what the creature on the train was…."

Yugi had just finished explaining about the dementors when they heard that Harry had volunteered to go near the hippogriffs.

Two girls whispered "Oooh, no, harry, remember your tea leaves!"

Marik raised an eyebrow. "What are those two talking about?"

"Ryo told me about this at lunch!" Yugi answered. "Apparently the divination professor predicted that Harry Potter was going to die using his tea leaves."

"What did Ryo say?"

"He didn't see anything when he looked on his way out."

"So the teacher bogus?" Marik looked back at the show of Potter's griffin taming skills.

"The teachers bogus." Yugi answered.  
>"Has anyone bothered to tell Harry?"<p>

Yugi blink twice before gasping. "No, they haven't! He must be freaking out on the inside."

"Don't feel too bad." Marik comforted. "Because of his courage boast from thinking he's going to die he gets to ride one of the hippogriffs."

"What!" Yugi exclaimed, turning to finally see Hagrid put Potter on one of the hippogriffs backs.

Once Harry had completed his ride everyone got a turn with a hippogriff.

Fortunately, Marik and Yugi chose one close enough to Malfoy and Buckbeak to hear him call the thing "a big ugly brute."

Marik had just enough time to use his shadow powers to pull Malfoy back enough so that the talon hit the fool's fore arm instead of his collar bone. If Marik hadn't intervened the wound could have been fatal.

Marik moved in to help Hagrid take Malfoy to the school nurse.

Yugi flashed Marik a silent look that said 'you could have been caught.'

Marik answered with a look that said 'but I wasn't.'

* * *

><p>Once he was on a cot, Malfoy got a serious tongue lashing from Marik.<p>

"You idiot!" Marik began his rant. "You could have been killed! If the beast's talon had hit you just a little higher…"

"Ok, I get!" Malfoy cried. Pain etched on his face. "How was I supposed to know the thing was so sensitive?"

"Insult a creature of Ra, you feel his talon." Marik stated in a frustrated tone.

"I'm English, we don't believe in Ra or any Egyptian god." Malfoy muttered.

Marik huffed. "Well you should. One of them got you pretty bad today."

"What do you mean?" Malfoy asked.

"Where I'm from, we believe griffins are servants of Horus." Marik replied. "So basically, you insulted a creature my family believes is sacred."

"Oh." Malfoy looked down at his now bandaged arm. "Thanks for coming here with me Marik."

"Don't worry about it Draco." Marik turned to see Pansy walk in. "I've got to go. See you later, Malfoy."

"You too, Ishtar." Malfoy watched Marik leave. Pansy was talking to him but he didn't hear much of whatever she was saying.

_"I could have sworn," _Malfoy thought to himself. _"That I was pulled back off my feet __before __hippogriff scratched me."_


End file.
